Being Mortal by Atul Gawande

2024-05-06 2 min read Sincheenz

I read this book soon after ‘Outlive’ by Peter Attia, and there could not have been a bigger contrast. Not in a negative way. One book tells you how to prolong your life and improve the quality of life as you age; the other reminds you that there is no escaping the end.

While Peter Attia beautifully explains how your body works and how you can prolong your life with proper monitoring, exercise, good eating habits, sleep, and mental health, Atul Gawande reminds you that no matter what you do, life has a finite end. He emphasizes why it is important to accept this fact and prepare yourself, not just for your own end, but also for that of your loved ones.

In no way should one be discouraged from trying all means to live longer and have a good quality of life, but it is important to acknowledge that we, as humans, will age, and there will be a time when we cannot do things as we once did. We need to be prepared for this too.

More importantly, it makes you realize how crucial it is to address this topic, which we often avoid with our aging parents. Every year, our parents get older, and even though we do not want to address it openly, we know there will be a time when their bodies and minds will slow down, and they will need our help and support. To provide this help and support, we must start understanding and talking to them about the things that are most important to them. Medicine can prolong life and fix issues, but it cannot guarantee quality of life or mental health. What are the things they are willing to forgo? What are the things they want to continue doing until the end? Do they want to be kept alive at all costs, even if it means being hooked up to machines? What would they not want to sacrifice under any circumstances?

It is a difficult and very emotional topic to address, but it is a very important one for both their sake and for the sake of the family they leave behind. Accepting that life will end can help you live it to the fullest.